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Summary
At around 09:25 on 1 May 2024, a passenger train traveling between Saltburn and Nunthorpe struck a car on Redcar level crossing, which is situated in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland. The collision took place with the train travelling at 23 mph (37 km/h). The car driver was injured in the collision and significant damage was caused to the car. There were no reported injuries to the passengers and staff on the train.
The investigation found that the signaller had opened Redcar level crossing to road traffic following the passage of a previous train to allow road traffic to clear. The signaller then forgot that the crossing was open and tried to set the route for the passenger train into Redcar Central station but was unable to clear the protecting signal to allow the train to proceed. This was because the interlocking in the signalling system had detected that the crossing was open. Unable to get the signal to clear, the signaller authorised the train to pass the signal at danger. In the absence of the crossing gates being closed or the road traffic signals being activated, the car driver drove onto the crossing where the collision occurred.
RAIB found that the normal sequence of actions used by the signaller to set the route for the train to enter Redcar Central station was disrupted, probably causing them to forget that Redcar level crossing was open to road traffic. This disruption included a telephone call and a perceived fault with the signalling panel. RAIB also found that the visual and procedural cues available to the signaller of the status of Redcar level crossing, which may have alerted them that it remained open, were either not used or were not effective.
The investigation also found that the train driver did not approach the level crossing at a speed that would have allowed them to stop the train before it collided with the car. The train driver was also unable to see that the crossing gates were open to road traffic due to their unusual design. RAIB additionally identified that there were no engineered controls fitted to the level crossing that would have automatically activated the wig-wag lights when the train approached.
An underlying factor to the accident was that Network Rail’s processes for managing signaller competence had not effectively addressed the signaller’s previous operational incidents. RAIB also found that no ergonomic assessment of the layout of controls at Redcar signal box had been carried out, and that this was a possible underlying factor.
Recommendations
RAIB has made one recommendation to Network Rail. This deals with reviewing the ergonomic risks associated with the operation of the signals and level crossings at Redcar signal box.
Three learning points have also been identified, relating to the need to comply with the rules associated with trains being authorised to pass signals at danger. These relate to signallers checking that the route is clear, to train drivers driving at caution at controlled level crossings, and to signallers specifying the locations of controlled level crossings to train drivers.
Notes to editors
The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.
Solong and Stena Immaculate interim report published
Fatal collision between a container ship and an oil/chemical tanker 14 nautical miles north-east of the Humber Estuary, England.
Images courtesy of Jeff Bowden (top) and Howard Parsons (bottom) at MarineTraffic.com
Today, we have published the initial findings of our investigation into the collision between the Portugal registered container ship Solong and the USA registered oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate, resulting in one fatality, 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head at the entrance to the Humber Estuary, England, on 10 March 2025.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Correspondence
Birmingham City Council: Ministerial response to the Commissioners’ second report
Ministerial response from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, to Max Caller CBE, Lead Commissioner at Birmingham City Council.
Response from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, to the Lead Commissioner at Birmingham City Council, Max Caller CBE, regarding the Commissioners’ second report.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Andrew Duff’s term on UK Government Investments Board extended for 12 months
HM Treasury has today (3 April) announced the extension of Andrew Duff’s term as Senior Independent Director on the UK Government Investments (UKGI) Board for 12 months, from July 2025 to July 2026.
UKGI is the government’s centre of expertise in corporate governance and corporate finance.
Andrew Duff was first appointed to the UKGI Board as a non-Executive Director in July 2019, and was reappointed for a second term in July 2022. Alongside this he is also Chair of Sage Group Plc. Andrew spent most of his executive career in the energy industry, including as Chief Executive Officer of global energy company, RWE Npower.
Emma Reynolds, The Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, welcomed the extension:
I am pleased to announce the extension of Andrew Duff’s term as a non-Executive Director on the UK Government Investments Board. UKGI provides invaluable advice and support to the government on complex corporate governance and corporate finance matters.
Andrew’s significant executive experience including in the energy sector will help UKGI continue its important work supporting the government’s growth and clean energy missions.
Vindi Banga, Chair of UKGI, said:
Andrew has made significant contributions across the organisation, and I am delighted that his term on the UKGI Board has been extended for a further 12-month period. I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Board in supporting UKGI to deliver its strategy and objectives.
This reappointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public appointments (OCPA) and is made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office.
This reappointment is made on merit and political activity played no part in the decision process. In accordance with the code, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Andrew Duff did not declare any political activity.
Further information
UKGI is the government’s centre of expertise in corporate governance and corporate finance. It provides expert advice and leading solutions that inform and translate government’s decisions into effective outcomes in the national interest.
UKGI acts as shareholder representative for, and leads the establishment of, UK government most complex and commercial arm’s length bodies on behalf of sponsor departments. It advises on major UK government corporate finance matters, including financial interventions into corporate structures and corporate finance negotiations; it analyses and advises on the UK government’s contingent liabilities and advises on major UK government corporate finance matters, including financial interventions into corporate structures and corporate finance negotiations.
UKGI is owned by HM Treasury and independently managed with a Board comprised predominantly of independent non-executive directors. UKGI works closely with both the private and public sectors, advising and interacting with ministers, Parliament and Whitehall departments.
SYDNEY, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi has unveiled their new campaign, Four Years. Featuring Manchester City stars, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones, the campaign celebrates four years of partnership and shared success.
Since 2020, Axi, the Official Online Trading Partner of Manchester City, has leveraged their access to the club’s players to create compelling content and to showcase their unique offerings. This year, the campaign celebrates four remarkable years of collaboration, reflecting on shared achievements, and ultimately, reaching new heights together, including the record setting, four consecutive Premier League titles.
Hannah Hill, Head of Brand and Sponsorship at Axi, expressed her enthusiasm for their new campaign, stating, “Working with the City players has been a very exciting experience, year after year. When we started our collaboration with the club back in 2020, we couldn’t have anticipated just how extraordinary these four years would turn out to be. Our latest campaign, Four Years, celebrates it all. The challenges that we navigated, the shared ambition and strive for excellence, and the unprecedented success we’ve achieved together. The campaign is also a testament to our clients and partners–it’s the details that give you the edge, and it’s our pledge to continue providing the edge they need to maximise their full trading potential.”
Further to the broker’s collaboration with Manchester City, Axi is also the Official LATAM Online Trading Partner of LaLiga club, Girona FC, the Official Online Trading Partner of Brazilian club, Esporte Clube Bahia, and have also named England international John Stones as their Brand Ambassador in 2023. Four Years follows a series of notable achievements and accolades for Axi–recently, the broker was recognised as ‘Innovator of the Year’ at the 2024 Dubai Forex Expo and was named ‘Most Innovative Proprietary Trading Firm’ by Finance Feeds, awards* that highlight the broker’s forward-thinking commitment in shaping future of the trading industry.
Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.
For more information or additional comments from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com
About Manchester City Football Club:
Manchester City FC was initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton and officially became Manchester City FC in 1894. Situated on the wider Etihad Campus, the Club’s footprint includes the 53,500 capacity Etihad Stadium, the 7,000 capacity Joie Stadium and City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance, training and youth development facility home to the Club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams.
Ranked as the Most Valuable Football Club Brand in the Premier League by Brand Finance, Manchester City FC is currently developing a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Campus. The Club is committed to operating in a sustainable and socially responsible manner and ensures that equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into its decision-making processes, culture and practices.
Jonathan Dent stood alongside Cllr Jenny Kent, in front of the Red Tower
Published Thursday, 3 April 2025
This summer, residents and visitors will be able to experience areas of the city walls from a fresh perspective, as this unique and historic space blooms into life.
Volunteers and businesses from across the city came together last year to help transform the City Walls embankments, for the first phase of the York Walls in Bloom project.
This first phase of this project at Station Rise will evolve into a beautiful landscape this Summer, where residents and visitors will be able to see bees and other pollinators thriving amidst a sea of colourful wildflowers.
The second phase of the project will be extended to the Red Tower, off Foss Islands Road and at Queen Street, near York Station.
After wildflowers are sown and planted in April for the second phase, there will be some flowering this year, but next year (2026) will see each area looking its best.
Like Station Rise, the area around Red Tower will be very carefully managed to balance the ecology of the site. The space will continue to change and develop in the first few years as the different plant species become more established.
The works on Queen Street, around ‘Toft’s Tower’, provides a unique opportunity to enhance another section of walls by introducing new native flowers, so they create the perfect backdrop for both the city walls and new streetscape near the railway station.
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said: “York is proud to have some of the best preserved and longest intact medieval walls in the country. This partnership project to cover the site at Station Rise in colourful wildflowers for York Walls in Bloom will not only look beautiful, but it will also help support York’s bees, moths and butterflies and crucially, help preserve the ramparts underneath.
We are lucky to have expert advice from many partners who are contributing to a process of reviewing our maintenance of the walls overall. We’ll adopt the very best practices to prevent soil erosion and ensure we keep the Walls standing and looking great for generations to come.”
Jonathan Dent, Green Corridors Manager at St Nicks, said: “Works will begin at the Red Tower from this month, with low nutrient soil imported and spread over the site to create a blank canvas for the sowing and planting of native wildflowers. This is the method successfully used at the Tower of London’s Moat in Bloom project. With the help of York Cares, volunteers from across the city will come together to support the project and help sow the seeds.”
The York in Bloom project is funded by the Green Corridors project , the National Lottery Community Fund and is sponsored by local businesses including The Grand York.
Known collectively as the Cross Tay Link Road project, Destiny Bridge and the New Kingsway, are key elements of the Perth Transport Futures infrastructure project linking the A9, the A93 and the A94 by providing a crossing over the River Tay.
The project also includes a 12km active travel path network, connecting the neighbouring communities with Perth city centre and providing alternatives to vehicular traffic. The path network also connects a central hub at a new Park-and-Choose area, and incorporates a green bridge to separate active travel users and wildlife from the road.
Together, the active travel path network and improved transport infrastructure will deliver on the project’s key priorities of reducing congestion and improving air quality in Perth city centre. Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland, has provided a £40m funding contribution to Perth and Kinross Council.
First Minister John Swinney said: “The completion of the New Kingsway and Destiny Bridge is a significant milestone for Perth, and I have no doubt that it will be transformative for the area and bring enormous benefits to all who use it.
“Reducing traffic volumes in the city centre will make journey times quicker, while also helping to reduce pollution, improve air quality, and free up road space for improved public transport.
“Our £40 million investment in the New Kingsway and Destiny Bridge is in addition to the £150 million Scottish Government has already committed to the Tay Cities Region Deal, which is expected to create 6,000 jobs and lever a further £400 million of investment into the region.
“This project showcases exactly how, with the right investment and strong partnerships, we will continue to deliver on my priorities of growing the economy, improving public services and protecting the planet.”
Enabling works on the project commenced in early 2022 following the appointment of main contractor, BAM UK & Ireland. As well as delivering the £150m project on time and on budget, the project team has also generated over £51m of social and economic value within the local area.
Councillor Grant Laing, Perth and Kinross Council Leader, said: “As the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Perth and Kinross Council, the opening of Destiny Bridge and the New Kingsway marks a momentous achievement for all involved.
“I would like to offer thanks to the project team for their hard work and dedication; and to residents, particularly those in Stormontfield, Scone and Luncarty, for their patience and understanding during the build.”
Councillor Laing continued: “As well as positively impacting on the environment and economy, during construction the project has created job opportunities and tackled local skills shortages through a robust outreach and training programme.
“It has also assisted in, and generated, several legacy projects including the Denmarkfield Allotments and Community Orchards, the new active travel path network and the Community Artwork project, all of which will bring enjoyment and health benefits for our Perth and Kinross residents for many years to come.”
Sunderland is looking forward to another year of BIG events, with opportunities throughout the year for people to get physically active at the same time as having fun.
Whether you’re taking your first steps to moving more, or looking to step up to a personal challenge, there’s an Active Sunderland event that’s right for you.
A favourite of beginners and families alike the BIG 3k Run will return to Sunderland on Sunday 11 May 2025, once again taking place on the same day as the Sunderland 10K and half marathon. Demand for this event means it is already sold out but there are still opportunities to get involved with the BIG Bike Ride and BIG Walk.
This summer, everyone can join in the BIG Bike Ride which returns on Sunday 13 July. Participants can choose to ride 5, 12, 20 or 38 miles setting off from the Beacon of Light and taking in some beautiful scenery around the city’s cycle network.
Later in the year, the BIG Walk at Herrington Country Park will be back on Sunday 28 September. Choose from 3, 5, 7, 9 or 13.5 mile trails around the beautiful country park and Penshaw Monument. No matter your ability there is a distance that’s right for you.
Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “Its brilliant to see these events in the calendar once again as they have been so popular in recent years. This year’s Active Sunderland Events programme has something for everyone, no matter your level of fitness.
“There are many mental and physical health benefits to being active, which is why we put this programme together to allow as many people as possible to get active and stay active.”
Local illustrator Kathryn Robertson has designed a new look for the BIG events this year with the exciting design set to feature on event t shirts and medals.
The prices for each event:
Adult £7.50
Adult with a T shirt £12
Child £7.50 (includes a t shirt)
Child aged 5-8 plus an accompanying adult £12.50 (child t shirt only)
For anyone inspired to take up regular running, details of running groups, parkruns and clubs as well as cycling and swimming opportunities can be found at Swim Bike Run Hubs – MySunderland
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments
Press release
Regulators urge donors to support registered charities to help earthquake efforts in Myanmar
The Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Fundraising Regulator offer advice on giving safely when looking to support the international aid effort.
Today the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Fundraising Regulator have published advice on how people can help those impacted by the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025.
The advice comes as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launches its Myanmar Earthquake Appeal. DEC brings together 15 registered UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently in times of crisis overseas.
These, and other registered charities, are currently providing life-saving aid such as food, water, shelter and healthcare to people affected by the earthquake.
By supporting registered charities, including through the DEC, people can be assured that their donations will be regulated and accounted for in line with charity law.
David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said:
As the scale of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Myanmar has become clearer, charities are once again responding to pleas for international help.
One way anyone can help is by making a donation to one of the many registered charities working to get aid to those in desperate need in Myanmar.
To make sure their generosity reaches the intended cause, we are reminding people to give with confidence through registered charities including by donating to the appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Gerald Oppenheim, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Regulator said:
The British public is always exceedingly generous in response to humanitarian disasters like the recent earthquake in Myanmar.
We want to make sure that the public can continue to give, safe in the knowledge that their donations are going to help alleviate the suffering.
By carrying out just a few simple checks – including looking out for a valid charity number and the Fundraising Badge – you can ensure you make informed decisions when donating to the disaster response.
Steps to giving safely
People can give with confidence to relief efforts by following a few simple steps:
consider donating through the DEC’s emergency appeal
for those who choose to donate to other charities, the charity regulator is reminding people to check charities are registered and legitimate
look out for the Fundraising Badge – the logo that says ‘registered with Fundraising Regulator’ – and check the Fundraising Regulator’s Directory of organisations committed to fundraise in line with its Code of Fundraising Practice
contact a charity directly or find out more online about the charity that you’re seeking to donate to or work with to understand how it is spending funds
make sure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information
be careful when responding to emails or clicking on links within them
check the charity’s name and registration number on the Charity Register – most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered in England and Wales
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales – its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Prime Minister’s remarks to UK business leaders in Downing Street: 3 April 2025
Prime Minister’s remarks delivered to UK business leaders in 10 Downing Street this morning.
Thank you for joining me in Downing Street today.
Last night, the President of the United States, acted for his country. That is his mandate.
Today, I will act in Britain’s interests, with mine.
I understand how important this is for your business as it is for the British people.
So, we move now to the next phase of our plan.
Decisions we take in the coming days and weeks, will be guided only by our national interest. In the interest of our economy. In the interests of the businesses around this table.
In the interests of putting money in the pockets of working people. Nothing else will guide me. That is my focus.
Clearly, there will be an economic impact from the decisions the US has taken both here and globally.
But I want to be crystal clear – we are prepared.
Indeed, one of the great strengths of this nation is our ability to keep a cool head.
I said that in my first speech as Prime Minister and that is how I govern.
That is how we have planned and that is exactly what is required today.
Nobody wins in a trade war. That is not in our national interest.
And we have a fair and balanced trade relationship with the US.
Negotiations on an economic prosperity deal, one that strengthens our existing trading relationship – they continue, and we will fight for the best deal for Britain.
Nonetheless, I do want to be clear I will only strike a deal if it is in the national interest and if it is the right thing to do for the security of working people.
Protects the pound in their pocket, that they work so hard to earn for their family.
That is my priority. That is always my priority.
So – today marks a new stage in our preparations.
We have a range of levers at our disposal, and we will continue our work with businesses across the country to understand their assessment of these options.
As I say – our intention remains to secure a deal.
But nothing is off the table.
We have to understand that just as with defence and security, so too for the economy and trade we are living in a changing world.
Entering a new era. We must rise to this challenge.
That is why I have instructed my team to move further and faster on the changes I believe will make our economy stronger and more resilient.
Because this government will do everything necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.
Everything necessary to provide the foundation of security that working people need to get on with their lives.
That is how we have acted – and how we will continue to act.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Press release
Government kickstarts £100 million fusion investment
A first of its kind partnership between the government and private sector could see over £100 million invested into the UK’s growing fusion energy industry.
Government invests £20 million into “Starmaker One” – a British fusion investment fund which is expected to leverage £100 million into the UK
world first government partnership with fusion private venture capital fund – keeping Britain at the forefront of the global fusion race
fusion has potential to help make Britain a clean energy superpower as part of the Plan for Change – driving economic growth and creating skilled jobs
Today (3 April) the government has announced £20 million to kickstart ‘Starmaker One’ – a British private fusion investment fund that will help fusion businesses and start-ups in the sector grow and commercialise at scale.
It is expected the upfront investment will unlock further investment from the private sector as the fusion industry grows – helping cement the UK as a world leader in the technology and creating highly-skilled jobs.
Fusion uses the same process that powers the sun by combining two forms of hydrogen and heating them at extreme temperatures, releasing vast amounts of energy.
Companies in the UK have often identified lack of access to capital as a barrier to scaling up and commercialising their businesses. An injection of cash from government will give the private sector confidence to invest in fusion, developing its vast potential as an unlimited source of energy and ensuring the UK continues to compete in the global fusion race.
The funding boost will help small fusion companies provide training for their workforce in key areas such as physics, engineering and chemistry. It will also support companies to develop technologies and capitalise on the opportunities of fusion energy in markets such as magnetics, industrial AI, robotics, healthcare, transportation and energy storage.
Fusion already supports thousands of jobs in the UK, in regions such as Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire, with thousands more to follow as the technology advances. Fusion is a key industry sector in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor with independent research from London Economics showing that every £1 invested in fusion it benefits the economy by nearly £4.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
This government is taking back control of Britain’s energy by driving for clean homegrown power through our Plan for Change.
Fusion has the potential to provide us with energy security, whilst attracting the best technologies to our shores and training up the next generation of British scientists and engineers.
We are backing both nuclear and fusion power, and today we take a step forward in growing this exciting industry.
Science Minister and Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion, Lord Vallance said:
Fusion energy is a technology with enormous potential, and an industry in which the UK is already well established. This investment will help to unlock the funding the fusion industry needs to grow, which will boost regions across the UK such as Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, and in Culham in Oxfordshire, the epicentre of UK fusion.
Energy Minister Kerry McCarthy, said:
This investment is our Plan for Change in action – we are backing British pioneers to secure the clean energy of the future while supporting jobs today, from scientists and welders to engineers and construction managers.
As countries around the world recognise the huge potential of fusion, breakthroughs in this technology are happening thick and fast, and we want to keep the UK at the forefront of the global race by helping projects to innovate and grow here, in turn driving economic growth.
Investment in Starmaker One signals the first early-stage fusion energy venture capital fund outside the US and the first of its kind to partner with government as an investor. Investing in fusion technology will pave the way to delivering a clean safe, secure and abundant baseload energy, helping to meet rising energy demand in the years ahead.
This investment will give industry cash upfront to grow their businesses and supply chains. It follows on from a government commitment for a record level of £410 million, announced in January, for UK fusion research and collaboration with other countries to develop clean, unlimited power and drive economic growth.
Successful deployment of fusion energy would be globally transformative and allow the UK to export the technology to a global fusion market expected to be worth trillions of pounds in the future.
This notice is for information only and does not constitute an invitation to invest. The fund is not available to retail investors.
Notes for editors
Starmaker One is a limited partnership in which the government is a cornerstone investor. The fund has potential to raise between £100 million and £150 million overall (including the £20 million from DESNZ) for investment into fusion-related technology
East X Ventures will act as fund manager. Government will receive a share of any returns made by the partnership
East X Ventures is the venture capital arm of East X, a London based quantitative systematic research and investment firm operating across global commodity markets. East X Ventures invests in early-stage, science-led companies with high-growth, world-scale potential
The funding comes from the government’s existing Research and Development budget for 2024/2025.
Picture this: you’re lounging on a beautiful beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the waves. You run your hands through the warm sand, only to find a cigarette butt. Gross, right?
This disturbing scene is typical of coastal pollution in Australia. But fortunately our new research shows the problem is getting better, not worse. Over the past ten years, the amount of waste across Australian coastal cities has reduced by almost 40%. We’re also finding more places with no rubbish at all.
We surveyed for debris in and around six Australian urban areas between 2022 and 2024. Then we compared our results to previous surveys carried out a decade ago. We found less coastal pollution overall and reset a new baseline for further research.
Our study shows efforts to clean up Australia’s beaches have been working. These policies, practices and outreach campaigns have reduced the extent of pollution in coastal habitats near urban centres. But we can’t become complacent. There’s plenty of work still to be done.
One of the many beaches surveyed by CSIRO. TJ Lawson
What we did
In Australia, three-quarters of the rubbish on our coasts is plastic. Even cigarette butts are mainly made of plastic.
To tackle the pollution effectively, we need to understand where the waste is coming from and how it gets into the environment.
Research has shown much of the coastal debris comes from local inland areas. Poor waste management practices can result in debris eventually making its way through rivers to the coast and out to sea.
We focused on urban areas because high population density and industrial activity contributes to waste in the environment. We examined six areas across Australia:
Perth in Western Australia
Port Augusta in South Australia
Hobart in Tasmania
Newcastle in New South Wales
Sunshine Coast in Queensland
Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
These places represent a starting point for the national baseline. At each location we studied sites on the coast, along rivers and inland, within a 100 kilometre radius.
We inspected strips of land 2m wide. This involved two trained scientists standing in an upright position looking downward, slowly walking along a line surveying for debris items. Together they captured information about every piece of debris they came across, including the type of material and what it was originally used for (where possible).
What we found
On average, we found 0.15 items of debris per square metre of land surveyed. That’s roughly one piece of rubbish every five steps.
Plastic was the most common type of waste. But in many cases it was unclear what the item was originally used for. For example, fragments of hard plastic of unknown origin were found in a quarter of all surveyed areas.
Polystyrene fragments were the most common item overall (24% of all debris fragments). Other frequently encountered items included food wrappers or labels, cigarette butts, and hard plastic bottle caps or lids.
We found more waste near farms, industry and disadvantaged areas.
The types of waste varied among cities. For example, cigarette butts were the most prevalent items in Newcastle, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. But food wrappers and beverage cans were more prevalent in Port Augusta and Alice Springs, respectively.
Hobart had the highest occurrence of beverage bottles and bottle fragments.
The most common type of waste varied among cities. CSIRO
Targeting problem items
Identifying the different types of litter in the environment can help policymakers and waste managers target specific items and improve waste recovery.
Research has shown container deposit legislation, which enables people to take eligible beverage containers to a collection point for a refund, has reduced the number of beverage containers in the coastal environment by 40%. Hobart did not have a container deposit scheme in place at the time of our survey.
Plastic bag bans can reduce bag litter. Now polystyrene food service items are becoming increasingly targeted by policymakers.
Hobart had the highest occurrence of beverage bottles and bottle fragments. Caroline Bray
Making progress
When we compared our results to the previous survey from 2011-14 we found a 39% decrease in coastal debris. We also found 16% more areas where no debris was present.
Our results support previous research that found an ongoing trend towards less waste on Australian beaches.
We think our research demonstrates the effectiveness of improved waste management policies, campaigns such as the “Five R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, then Recycle” – as well as clean-up efforts.
It’s likely that increased awareness is making a big dent in the problem. But reducing the production of plastic, and invoking changes further up the supply chain, would likely further help reduce mismanaged waste in the environment.
Implications for the future
Measuring and monitoring litter can inform policymaking and waste management. Our research serves as a benchmark for evaluating and informing future efforts to reduce plastic waste.
We are heartened by the findings. But continued effort is needed from people across government, industry and Australian communities. Everyone needs to address how we produce, use and dispose of plastic for a cleaner and healthier planet.
Australians are increasingly aware of the need to keep the coastal environment free of litter. Qamar Schuyler
As part of her role at CSIRO, Stephanie Brodie receives funding the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.
Britta Denise Hardesty received funding for this work from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. Shell Australia previously provided funding for this research via Earthwatch Australia for surveys and citizen science projects carried out between 2011 and 2014.
They will include discussions with autistic individuals, professionals and parents of autistic children and take a look at how the world of sport supports people with autism.
Guests include Dr Temple Grandin, Dr Eve Griffiths, David and Carrie Grant, Nicky Crosby, representatives from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Will Greenwood, Paul Mullin and many more.
The TWS Sports Podcast is hosted by students with autism at Tettenhall Wood School. Within 12 months of its launch in 2021, it had already been named the winner of the Best Equality and Social Impact at the global Sports Podcast Awards.
Adam Millichip, Outreach Teacher, said: “We have a great platform to promote the amazing things autistic individuals can do and we believe it is really important to raise the awareness and acceptance of autism through our podcast; our students are very passionate about this topic and it is something they speak a lot about during their interviews with our guests.
“Our special autism episodes are going to cover a wide range of topics from conversations with autistic individuals to in-depth conversations with professionals, as well our discussions with parents, sports clubs and so much more.”
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Work, said: “The podcast is an excellent innovation by Tettenhall Wood School, showing just what its pupils are capable of.
“It is great that the young people are using their platform to explore some of the issues around, and to raise awareness of, autism during World Autism Acceptance Month, and I would urge everyone to have a listen to the pods as they drop over the next few weeks.”
To subscribe to the TWS Sports Podcast, visit TWS Sports Podcast. Episodes can also be watched on the TWS Sports Podcast YouTube channel.
The Wolverhampton Autism Board website includes information about autism, upcoming events, parent/guardian workshops, support groups for autistic individuals and professionals working with autistic people, community opportunities, information about Wolverhampton Autism Board and links to online resources and strategies.
The Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) vaccine, also known as the 3 in 1 teenage booster which is offered to children in Year 9 and above. This booster is the last routine dose that provides young people with long lasting protection into adulthood.
The Meningococcal (Men ACWY) vaccination for children in Year 9 and above which helps protect young people against 4 types of meningococcal disease which can cause both meningitis and septicaemia.
The MMR vaccination, to provide long lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella for all school aged children who have missed doses.
Clinic will be held on Monday 14 April at Biz Space, Room 2, Planetary Road WV13 3SW from 10am to 2pm and on Saturday 26 April at Whitmore Reans Family Hub, Lansdowne Road WV1 4AL from 9.30am to 2pm. Appointments must be booked in advance by contacting Vaccination UK on 01902 200077.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “These vaccines offer the best protection for teenagers as they start their journey into adulthood and start mixing more widely – whether that’s going to college, starting work, travelling or going to festivals.
“So, if your child has missed out on their vaccinations, maybe because they were off school or are home educated, please come along to one of the catch up clinics being delivered by Vaccination UK over the coming weeks.”
Warmer, greener homes are crucial to cutting bills.
More in Climate
Any moves by the Scottish Government to further dilute, delay or drop the upcoming Heat in Buildings Bill would be an act of climate vandalism and a blow for household budgets, green jobs, and our environment, say the Scottish Greens.
The comments from the party’s Co-Leader, Patrick Harvie, come ahead of a Ministerial statement today that is widely expected to see plans weakened and pushed back further.
The Bill, which was under development by Mr Harvie in his time as a Minister, and was on track for introduction in November last year, was intended to focus on improving the energy efficiency of our homes and changing to clean heating systems.
“It is crucial that we move away from fossil fuels and invest in clean, green energy so that we can have warmer homes and start to cut the bills that are plunging even more families into poverty.
“Keeping people stuck on gas is not only bad for our planet, it is also punishing people all across our country and forcing them to fork out, while the fossil fuel companies post record profits. We are already way behind where we need to be in terms of tackling fuel poverty and our transition away from fossil fuels.
“Scotland is also losing out on good quality green jobs. Heat pump manufacturing is seeing global growth, but Scotland has seen investment go elsewhere.
“The measures in this Bill could play a crucial role in supporting households to make the shift, and giving the industry the clarity it needs to invest. I am very concerned by the increasing speculation that it will be diluted, delayed or dropped. To do so would be an act of environmental vandalism and a blow for household budgets, our economy and our environment.
“The failure to hit previous climate targets should have been a wake-up call, but the Scottish Government is not showing anywhere near the political will that is required.
“Cutting home energy bills, boosting high quality green jobs, and cutting our emissions are all possible, but they can only happen if the Government is prepared to take the action and make the investment that it needs to.”
Public transport should be affordable and accessible.
More in Transport
Edinburgh’s Scottish Green councillors are urging all parties to back a motion calling for the Council to extend free bus travel to carers and companions across the city.
The motion, which will be heard by the Transport and Environment Committee today, will be moved by Councillor Kayleigh O’Neill. It would extend the successful bus pass Companion +1 scheme to every young person with care needs.
The proposal follows campaigning by Parents 4 Future Scotland, a grassroots organisation concerned about climate change in our communities.
If approved, the motion calls for the Council to work on a proposal for an ‘Under 22+1 scheme’ to enable the change and to report back to the Transport and Environment Committee.
Councillor O’Neill said:
“The Under 22 bus pass scheme has been revolutionary for children in the city who can now travel for free on bus and trams. This is great for their families’ finances and for promoting car-free travel in the city for those who can
“However I know that a barrier for some children in using their bus pass is the need to travel with a carer, for example a parent or guardian and that cost can be problematic.
“The idea would be that an Under 22 pass user will have the option to apply for a “+1” to be added to their card like the companion and Disabled National Entitlement Card”
“Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams are already familiar with a ‘plus one type of scheme’ because they accommodate users of the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass Scheme which, for some, allows a free companion to travel with the cardholder.”
“It would be fantastic to further level the playing field when it comes to accessing public transport, especially for those already struggling with costs of living and mobility.”
Scottish Green MSP Lorna Slater said:
“This is a really important proposal by Green councillors and would make our transport system and Edinburgh more accessible for young people who need extra care when travelling.
“Our cities and our communities are for all of us, and that has to mean that we should all be able to access and enjoy them. This would set a vitally important precedent and would be an important step towards building a more liveable city.”
Motion by Councillor O’Neill – Free Bus Travel for Carers and Companions
Committee:
Welcomes the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme for which there is a strong pick up rate across the City of Edinburgh
Understands a barrier for some children using their under 22s bus pass is the need to travel with a carer (e.g parent or guardian) who cannot afford travel
The disabled person’s bus pass scheme already successfully runs with a Companion +1 scheme dependent on the applicant’s needs and technology can support this onboard Lothian Buses and at card authenticators at Edinburgh Tram stops.
Also understands that disabled people under 22 can choose between the disabled person’s bus pass and the under 22 bus pass, however the administrative process is easier for those under 22 and does not require users to re-apply and provide proof of disability for free travel.
Notes previous work from Cllr Dijkstra-Downie to request class bus passes for schools to promote uptake of the cards which should continue to be encouraged
Therefore requests officers to investigate the possibility of implementing as scheme for a ‘u22 +1’ card for young people who need to travel with a carer, parent or guardian, and report to Transport and Environment committee when appropriate.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Speech
UK and Allies to build on momentum in efforts to enhance Ukraine’s security, uphold international law and protect human rights: UK Statement to the OSCE
UK Military Advisor, Lt Col Joby Rimmer, says a lasting peace in Ukraine can only be provided if we step up and offer real and credible security assurances to deter Russia from further threatening European Security.
Thank you, Mr Chair. The UK strongly condemns Russia’s unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine. We are committed to providing extensive economic, humanitarian, and defensive military assistance to Ukraine. The UK remains steadfast in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, ensuring that Russia faces consequences for its actions. Ukraine has shown it is ready and willing to work towards peace. The ball is now in Russia’s court, and President Putin must prove he is serious about peace and sign up to a ceasefire with immediate effect. The Kremlin’s procrastination and game-playing with the agreed naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, despite good faith participation from all sides, show Russian promises to be hollow.
We welcome President Trump’s readiness to increase the pressure on Russia if President Putin does not agree to a ceasefire soon. The Institute for the Study of War and others assess that Russia is using the temporary ceasefire in the Black Sea as leverage to stall efforts toward a general ceasefire and extract additional concessions from the West. This is unacceptable.
We must remain committed to the US and Ukraine’s proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. British, French, and Ukrainian military leaders are set to meet in the coming days to build on recent momentum in efforts to enhance Ukraine’s security. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the meeting aims to drive forward the next stage of detailed planning, following a call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Last week in the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters, Britain and France led over 200 planners from ‘a group of nations politically aligned to the defence, security and sovereignty of Ukraine’. These military planning meetings have focused on how we keep the skies, the seas and the border of Ukraine safe. To be clear, a lasting peace in Ukraine can only be provided if we step up and offer real and credible security assurances to deter Russia from further threatening European Security.
And what is Russia’s contribution to peace and negotiations? We have seen no sign of Putin abandoning his war of aggression and his disregard of international law is being realised on the ground in Ukraine. Russian forces shelled a frontline settlement in Ukraine’s south-east Zaporizhzhia region, resulting in the death of a 66-year-old woman and injuries to five others. In the early hours of today, Russian attacks left 45,000 in Kherson without power, and this is despite Russia’s alleged agreement to a partial ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities following technical discussions in Riyadh in March.
The Report of the independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published on 11 March, highlighted a sharp increase in criminal cases concerning Russian troops executing wounded, captured or surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. In most situations, soldiers targeted ‘were in a vulnerable situation: unarmed, lying on the ground, kneeling, and some were partly naked’.
On 26 March, Russia convicted 23 captured Ukrainians on terrorism charges in a trial widely denounced by the international community as a sham and a gross violation of international law. The defendants received sentences ranging from 13 to 23 years in maximum security forced labour camps. The trial’s proceedings were marred by numerous irregularities and violations of fair representation. Defendants were reportedly denied access to independent legal counsel and subjected to coerced confessions obtained under duress.
Our position has not changed. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. President Putin must stop playing games and agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions. Only through a concerted and sustained effort can we hope to bring an end to this egregious campaign of violence and pave the way for a just and lasting peace. Efforts to support Ukraine and its pursuit of justice must be intensified to ensure our commitment to upholding international law and protecting human rights.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Letter Text (PDF)
Washington (April 2, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), today sent a letter to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Executive Office for Immigration Review Acting Director Sirce E. Owen, condemning the unjust firings of more than 20 judges serving on immigration courts across the nation. The senators highlighted the enormous impact these terminations will have on the immigration system, including impairing critical due process protections.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly fired more than 20 judges serving on immigration courts across the nation, including the Chelmsford Immigration Court in Massachusetts. These firings, which heavily impact New England, have terminated high-level officials—including the Chief Immigration Judge (IJ) of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—supervisory immigration judges and an entire class of 13 newly hired IJs.
In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The Trump administration has arbitrarily dismissed these hard-working public servants, without compelling reason, in blatant disregard for the fairness and efficiency of the immigration courts. These indefensible firings appear intended to impair the immigration system and to strip vulnerable immigrants of critical due process protections. We urge the Administration to reinstate these fired IJs, halt any further terminations, and provide information regarding EOIR’s plan for the immigration court system.”
The lawmakers continued, “Experts warn that the Administration could be poised to politicize the immigration court system by replacing terminated court officials with far-right loyalists. And we are alarmed by news that the Administration is seeking to bypass the IJs altogether by invoking the Alien Enemies Act and expanding the use of ‘expedited removal,’ a fast-track deportation process. Individuals deemed ‘alien enemies’ under the Alien Enemies Act have been deported without any court hearing or other form of due process. Meanwhile, individuals placed in expedited removal are not entitled to a hearing before an IJ or to judicial review, with narrow exceptions for those who express fear of persecution or intent to apply for asylum. The designation of some noncitizens as ‘alien enemies’ and the possible expansion of expedited removal—coupled with the firings of IJs—signifies a concerted effort to deprive noncitizens of critical protections and due process rights. This approach could result in the erroneous deportation of individuals with a valid claim of asylum or fear of persecution and even citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa-holders. These actions are not only cruel and inhumane, they may also contravene U.S. law and international obligations.”
The lawmakers request answers by April 11, 2025 to the following questions:
How is the Trump administration deciding which immigration judges to terminate nationwide, and, specifically, in the Chelmsford and Boston immigration courts?
Why did the Administration fire 13 newly hired IJs and 7 Assistant Chief IJs (ACIJs) on February 14, 2025? Why has the Administration fired other IJs and ACIJs since February 14?
Why has the Trump administration terminated immigration judges who have served in their roles for longer than two years?
Is the Trump administration considering firing additional immigration judges in the Boston or Chelmsford immigration courts?
Does the Trump administration plan to re-hire any of the terminated immigration judges? Does the Trump administration plan to replace any of the terminated immigration judges by hiring new immigration judges, including for the Boston or Chelmsford immigration courts?
How does the Trump administration intend to address the backlog of roughly 160,000 removal cases in the Boston and Chelmsford immigration courts?
Is the Trump administration planning on taking other actions that would obviate the need for more immigration judges?
Man charged after police seize firearms during targeted Mowbray search
Thursday, 3 April 2025 – 3:42 pm.
A man has been charged after police seized four firearms, a silencer, and quantities of illicit substances during a targeted search at Mowbray yesterday. Members of Northern Drug and Firearms Unit executed a search warrant at the private residence, seizing a 3D printed pistol, a shortened rifle, an unregistered rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun. A 23-year-old Mowbray man presented to Launceston Police Station this morning, and was charged with multiple firearms-related offences including possess a prohibited firearm to which a firearms licence may not be issued, possess a shortened firearm, and possess a silencer. He was also charged with recklessly discharging a firearm in relation to an incident on 1 February and wounding over an incident on 19 January. He will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date. Anyone with information about illegal firearms should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)
For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland March 30, 2025 202-808-6129
PRESS RELEASE
PLASKETT HOSTS MARCH COMMUNITY EVENTS
US Virgin Islands – During the last week of March, Congresswoman Plaskett and her office hosted numerous community outreach events.
On Thursday, March 27th and Friday, March 28th, the Congresswoman and her team hosted U.S. Postal Service Town Hall Working Sessions where they received in writing various constituent complaints, inquiries, and testimonials regarding delayed or damaged packages and other issues. The US Postal Service initially agreed to have representatives from the regional and local offices present at both town halls, but then later declined the invitation, stating that travel demands were too great and would take too much time away from USPS staff and representatives’ work duties. Since the Congresswoman’s first term, the office has hosted at least four (4) town halls with postal service personnel in attendance—up to the Deputy Postmaster General has come—at the Congresswoman’s invitation—to speak to the Virgin Islands community as well as postal inspectors come to simply share how to make a claim. Despite the US Postal Service representatives’ inability to attend, the Congresswoman and her team received numerous complaints and shared information on additional topics regarding social security, immigration and veterans affairs.
On Saturday, March 29th and Sunday, March 30th, the Congresswoman’s office also hosted their 4th annual V.I. History with Stacey events where Virgin Islands’ students were front and center with numerous displays of Virgin Islands history and culture through the performing arts and spoken word. Also, a part of the program were this year’s winners of the office’s Black History Month essay contest (winners’ names listed below).
“I would like to thank all of the members of our community who came out and supported our community events this week, and a special thank you to our students, their parents and teachers who participated in our V.I. History with Stacey presentations,” said Congresswoman Plaskett. “Additionally, my team and I take very seriously our commitment to keeping Virgin Islanders informed and equipped with the appropriate information and resources regarding agencies like the U.S. Postal Service. I look forward to sharing the complaints and information gathered at our town halls with the USPS regional office and my team will share updates as we receive them.”
St. Thomas/St. John – Middle School Category Winner
Khaden Jn-Jacques All Saints Cathedral School
St. Thomas/St. John – High School Category Winner
Mirza Baig Charlotte Amalie High School
St. Croix Middle School Category Winner
Taejah S. Green Eulalie Rivera School
St. Croix High School Category Winner
Knala A.S. Hendrickson St. Croix Education Complex High School
Fourth youth charged following Launceston burglaries
Thursday, 3 April 2025 – 12:23 pm.
A fourth youth has been charged as part of an investigation into a number of burglaries at residential and commercial properties in the Launceston area. The 17-year-old boy was charged overnight with 11 burglaries and 7 stealings – alleged to have occurred between February and April. He was detained to appear in the Youth Justice Division of the Launceston Magistrates Court today. Three youths – a 14-year-old-boy and two 17-year-old boys – were previously charged with numerous offences as part of the investigation by Northern Criminal Investigation Branch. Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Scottish Secretary focusses on jobs and investment in USA visit
US investors invited to Edinburgh for a Global Investment Summit to help boost jobs and investment, putting more money back in people’s pockets.
Jobs and investment in Scotland will be top of the agenda today [Thursday 3 April] when Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, Lord Mayor of London Alastair King and Scottish Financial Enterprise Chief Executive Sandy Begbie meet key sectors in a series of meetings in New York during Tartan Week.
In a co-ordinated effort aimed at boosting growth in Scotland they will invite companies to attend the Scottish Investor Summit – organised by Scottish Financial Enterprise and The City of London Corporation – to be held in Edinburgh in October this year.
The event will be key to encouraging inward investment in Scotland – investment which can boost Scotland’s economy, create well paid jobs and boost living standards, putting more money back in people’s pockets.
The New York meetings will showcase Scotland’s key strengths in financial services, clean energy and life sciences to international investors. This will be held at the UK Consul General’s residence in New York and at the offices of BlackRock, a global investment management corporation with a significant presence in Scotland.
Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said:
“At a time when we are celebrating Scotland on the international stage, we want to highlight the exceptional investment opportunities in innovative industries. These meetings and roundtables are at the heart of Brand Scotland, selling the nation on the global stage. By strengthening these international partnerships through our Plan for Change, we’re laying the groundwork for the Edinburgh Global Investment Summit.”
Lord Mayor of London Alastair King said:
“Tartan week is not just an opportunity to celebrate the strong cultural and economic links between Scotland and the US, it is also a chance to deepen them further especially in financial services. That is why I am in New York speaking to major US businesses and investors and promoting the forthcoming Scottish Investment Summit in Edinburgh in October
“The theme of my mayoralty is ‘growth unleashed’, aiming to reignite the City’s appetite for positive risk and fully leverage the white heat of new technology to fuel economic growth across the United Kingdom. One of the best ways to do that is through greater cooperation with the US in financial services – which is a major part of both the Scottish and wider UK economy.”
Chief Executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise Sandy Begbie CBE said:
“Tartan week is an excellent example of the soft power which Scotland commands across the globe, but especially in the US. These roundtables provide just a small taste of the investment opportunity in Scotland.
“The Scottish investment summit later this year will showcase in detail the very best of Scotland’s financial services, renewables and life science to global investors. This coupled with opportunities to engage with government stakeholders and investment prospects highlight the unique opportunity the summit will bring.”
The Scottish investment summit, to be held in Edinburgh in October, will bring together major global investors, UK industry leaders, higher education institutions, and government representatives. Around 150 senior-level attendees are expected at the summit, with at least half representing significant global investors.
The summit will showcase the investments that have already been made, as well as the rationale behind why firms made the decision to invest in Scotland and what have been the returns and benefits to them as a result. It will also provide opportunities for investors to engage with investment prospects that currently exist in our investment pipeline, as well as government and regulatory stakeholders.
Sadly, a woman in her 80s has died after a single-vehicle crash at Devonport. Police and emergency services were called to the Bass Highway about 6.30am Thursday after reports a vehicle had rolled. A woman – who was a passenger in the vehicle – sadly died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was taken to the North West Regional Hospital for treatment. Investigations into the crash are ongoing, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner. Our thoughts are with the woman’s family and loved ones at this difficult time. Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents.
The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and undetected fetal abnormalities, according to the reports.
So why do some women choose additional ultrasounds? And how can you tell if you should trust the person providing your ultrasound?
What are reassurance scans?
Reassurance scans are a type of non-medical elective or “entertainment” ultrasound some women seek in addition to their routine first- and second-trimester scans.
Reassurance scans are marketed as a way to “give you peace of mind” about your baby’s development, or to assure you “everything is progressing as it should” if you’re not due for a routine scan.
They’re also called souvenir, boutique or keepsake ultrasounds, because these business typically sell memento packages. These often include so-called 4D images: renderings combined with the fourth dimension of time to show movement.
Some businesses offer gender identification information, sometimes with “gender-reveal” party accessories, as well as audio recordings of the fetal heartbeat.
Why do women get them?
Detailed interview studies have explored why ultrasound images beyond the routine scans are so popular.
Many expecting parents want to learn the fetal sex as early as possible, seek reassurance, see the facial features of their future child and acquire keepsake images.
Rather than trivialising the “entertainment” value of these services, some argue obstetricians could learn from the service, thus improving patient satisfaction during obstetric imaging.
Professional organisations have denounced these businesses for misleading consumers with false reassurances. As these scans aren’t checked by a clinician, these operators cannot give reliable assurances.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates the supply of medical devices. It registers them, classifies them according to their risk and sometimes attaches conditions to their use.
Last year, the TGA de-registered several handheld devices used to detect fetal heartbeats during pregnancy without health practitioner supervision.
The decision followed a post-market review that found expectant parents had been falsely reassured by the devices themselves or by untrained people using them in home settings.
However, no such review has been conducted for portable ultrasound devices.
While removing devices from the register in this manner may limit consumer access, it is not a “product recall” and would not prevent the continued sale of second-hand devices.
These days it’s normal to share ultrasound images on social media. fizkes/Shutterstock
Who can perform ultrasounds?
While some specialist health practitioners may perform ultrasounds (such as obstetricians holding a relevant certificate), most diagnostic imaging specialists are sonographers.
But there is no sonography registration board to receive complaints about sonographers or take disciplinary action against them. This sets sonographers apart from registered health practitioners such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
This could make sonographers more clearly identifiable through title protections, ensure poorly performing sonographers are disciplined and allow for consistent national standards.
However, it would not stop unregistered people from providing non-medical ultrasounds.
So how can you tell if your provider is a sonographer?
One clear signal that a provider is offering a non-diagnostic ultrasound is that no Medicare subsidy is on offer.
Australian providers conducting imaging without accreditation must inform consumers of their non-accreditedstatus and confirm no Medicare benefit is payable.
You can make complaints to state-based health complaints bodies. The Health Care Complaints Commission in New South Wales, for example, can investigate complaints about sonographers as non-registered health practitioners and consider the relevant code of conduct.
When a sonographer is found to have acted improperly, or to pose a health or safety risk, these complaints bodies may issue orders prohibiting the sonographer from providing any health services for a specified period.
Australian consumer law is another way authorities may crack down on unscrupulous providers. In 2015, a person was prosecuted in Western Australia after selling identical images to six women who received non-medical ultrasounds in their homes.
Her offences involved making false or misleading claims and accepting money for services not provided.
If non-medical imaging providers make misleading claims, including about the level of clinical reassurance a non-diagnostic scan can provide, you can report them to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission.
The author was employed as a research officer at the Medical Council of New South Wales in 2018.
Portland, ME – The U.S. Marshals Service in Maine announces multiple arrests while in search for a Massachusetts fugitive. Jason Whitney, 47, was arrested at his residence in Waldoboro, Maine Wednesday night, April 1st. Whitney was wanted for a weapon offense charge out of Massachusetts. While in search of Whitney at the residence, U.S. Marshals Task Force members discovered several other occupants living at the residence that had multiple warrants for arrest.
After receiving investigative leads from the United States Marshals Service (USMS) District of Massachusetts New England HIDTA Fugitive Task Force, the USMS Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF) was able to determine Whitney was living at a residence in Waldoboro, Maine. In coordination with the Waldoboro, Maine Police Department, Whitney was apprehended. Also discovered and arrested at the residence were Hannah Stone, 25, of Waldoboro, Maine, and Daason Carter-Hawkins 24, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Stone and Carter-Hawkins had multiple warrants for failure to appear on previous drug related offenses here in Maine.
Concurrent to the arrests, multiple quantities of drugs and paraphernalia where also discovered and seized by authorities, which included 184 grams of “crack” cocaine. Drug related investigations are on-going by state and local authorities.
Significant assistance was provided by the Massachusetts USMS New England HIDTA Fugitive Task Force, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), Waldoboro, Maine Police Department, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA). All three subjects were arrested without incident.
The USMS, Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maine National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any state or federal fugitive please contact the United States Marshals Service, MED.TIPLINE@usdoj.gov.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham
Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online spaces of the manosphere.
Adolescence is a drama and deserves the praise it has attracted. But it wasn’t developed as an educational resource, the kind that is produced in consultation with young people and schools and should be underpinned by robust research and well planned evaluations.
The series shows an extreme example of one teenager drawn into the world of the manosphere. Not all boys will see themselves reflected in this portrayal. And as a researcher working on masculinity and misogyny, my concern is that showing the series in schools may lead boys to think that they are all perceived as potential threats.
Showing the series as a teaching tool risks framing boyhood as monolithic, with one particular – and problematic – way of being a boy.
Already, a broad-brush, blame-heavy approach is often taken to boys in response to issues relating to sexual harassment and violence. “We may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address”, Keir Starmer has said.
Boys dealing with blame
In research I have carried out for a forthcoming book on boys and masculinity, I worked with young men and boys aged 13 to 19. One 15-year-old boy said that “I am always told that I am part of the problem but never allowed to be part of the solution”. I also found that this broad blame culture leads to feelings of worthlessness in young men and boys, which shuts down vital dialogue and also may lead them to resort to looking for direction from negative spaces such as the manosphere.
It is evident from reports and evidence that young men and boys do carry out a large amount of reported sexual harassment and harms against young women and girls. This can be seen in the 2021 Ofsted report into sexual harassment in schools in England, for example. The 2025 2000 Women report states that, in the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days.
There is evidently a serious, endemic and complex problem. The misogyny that can be popularised by toxic influencers online also needs urgently addressing.
But a “one-size-fits-all” approach to tackle “boys’ issues” may result in making things worse, not better, due to the lack of recognition of the intersectionality of boyhood. Other aspects of identity, such as race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, sexuality and physical and mental health will have implications for the approaches that need to be taken.
My ongoing research has demonstrated that boyhood means differing things to different boys. In steering groups with young men and boys from various ethnicities and differing social classes, a consistent theme emerged. This was a conflict between the internal and external self that the boys felt that they had to portray. This was also highlighted in a further 16 focus groups carried out on the project, again with a range of boys.
The internal self refers to who the boys actually are, including other identity traits such as race and class, and all the other intersecting aspects of their identity. The external self is what they felt they should show as a boys to fit into the hierarchy of masculinity and how they should portray themselves to fit within the social expectations of being a boy. This causes a conflict of external and internal self.
Efforts to help boys deal with issues such as the messages of the manosphere need to be attuned to the nuance of their internal selves. Generalising boys does not account for the individual identities that they bring to the issues that affect them.
Boys as individuals
The monolithic perspective of “boys” and the ensuing group blame oversimplifies complex issues, resulting in less than effective solutions and interventions that do not acknowledge or account for the nuances and complexities that surround individual boys.
This approach ignores diversities and intersecting identities and steers societal thinking about boys as a set group. It risks stereotyping them and causing prejudicial approaches. When boys are stigmatised in such a way, it compounds issues across genders, breaks down valuable communication and can also cause resentment and hostility.
One of the key voices and valuable perspectives that is missing from this debate is that of young men and boys themselves. We need to truly listen to their perspectives and their needs and build upon these as they are the experts in the world they are experiencing. Good practice accounts for and builds upon these experiences, with young people.
My research has demonstrated that young people want to be a part of these discussions rather than having things decided for them. It also shows that, quite often, we are teaching them what they already know and providing support and education that is too little, too late. We need to move away from the broad brush blaming of boys and young men and begin to approach them based upon their own individual identities – of which gender is only a part.
The five-week election campaign is now in full swing throughout the nation.
Amid the flurry of photo opportunities and press conferences, candidates campaign in specific areas for a reason: to shore up or win back key seats.
But which seats are key? Here, six experts explain the seats to watch in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
New South Wales
David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney
How the 2025 federal election will play out in NSW is difficult to predict for two reasons.
The first is the recent redistribution which, as ABC analyst Antony Green’s pendulum shows, has redefined many electoral boundaries.
The second is the number of crossbench MPs. There are three Teals in formerly safe Liberal seats: Mackellar (Sophie Scamps), Warringah (Zali Steggall) and Wentworth (Allegra Spender). Teal Kylie Tink’s seat of North Sydney has been abolished.
All were lifted into parliament by the rising tide of resentment against former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Now that tide has gone out, the survival of these MPs depends on how they have performed as local members. The overall impression is that they have done well in connecting with their constituents and will be hard to shift.
There is a chance the formerly safe upper north shore seat of Bradfield could augment their numbers. Teal Nicolette Boele gave Liberal Paul Fletcher a very uncomfortable election night in 2022 when she slashed his majority. After the redistribution, the Liberals hold the seat by a narrow 2.5%. Fletcher is not recontesting. Boele is running a well-financed campaign with a lot of grass roots support.
The redistribution has pushed many former North Sydney voters into Bradfield. Whether they remain Teal or revert to being true-blue Liberals remains to be seen.
Much of the rest of the former North Sydney has gone into the very marginal Labor seat of Bennelong, which is now notionally marginal Liberal.
The Nationals have a problem in Calare, where former Nationals MP, now independent, Andrew Gee, is recontesting. The Nationals are also facing challenges from the left on the upper north coast due to demographic change. They hold Cowper by 2.4%.
Liberal-aligned independent, Dai Le, narrowly won Fowler in Sydney’s western suburbs in 2023. Labor has endorsed Tu Le, also of Vietnamese descent, in what promises to be a tough fight. Parramatta is another marginal seat in the western suburbs, held by Labor’s Andrew Charlton with a two-party preferred margin of 3.7%.
The government is concerned about seats on the central coast and in the Hunter and Illawarra regions, where concerns about wind farms and job losses due to renewable energy are a major issue. Most of the government’s vulnerable seats are in these areas: Gilmore, Robertson, Paterson and Hunter would all be lost with a two-party-preferred swing of 5%.
Queensland
Paul Williams, associate professor in politics and journalism, Griffith University
For decades we said Queensland was a key “battleground” in federal elections where seats north of the Tweed so often held the keys to The Lodge.
The 1975 election saw the Coalition leave Labor with a single seat, and the 1996 poll bequeath Labor just two. Conversely, Labor’s Kevin Rudd rode to victory on his nine-seat haul in in 2007, with Rudd losing seven of those in 2010.
But, for the past 15 years, federal elections have seen little movement in Queensland except, of course, for 2022 when the Greens won three seats. In short, Queensland is no longer the “make-or-break” state. Even the retirements of Keith Pitt (Hinkler), Karen Andrews (McPherson), Warren Entsch (Leichhardt) and Graham Perrett (Moreton) will hardly affect the mood.
The electoral pendulum confirms this. Labor holds just five of Queensland’s 30 seats, with Blair – a mix of outer-suburban and regional proclivities – Labor’s most marginal, but still held by a healthy 5.2% buffer. Given the two-party-preferred (2PP) swing to the Liberal-National Party (LNP) in Queensland will likely be under five percentage points – far lower than the 7.0% two-party-preferred swing the LNP attained at last October’s state election – the Coalition is unlikely to seize any more Labor property.
Conversely, despite the LNP holding seven Queensland seats on margins under 5%, the electoral tide is well and truly out for a Labor Party, whose Queensland brand is damaged at all levels. Inflation and housing shortages have hit Queensland hard, and especially so in the regions. Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson – the LNP’s most marginal on just 1.7% – is therefore safe.
Climate action and other “community” candidates (some reject the “Teal” moniker) are standing on the Gold Coast (McPherson and Moncrieff), on the Sunshine Coast (Fisher and Fairfax), and in Groom and Dickson. None will win, but some will carve out a respectable primary vote.
All eyes will instead be on the cashed-up inner-urban seats of Ryan (potentially returning to the LNP), Griffith (a possible Labor win) and Brisbane (a genuine three-way race) – all three useful, but not essential, to Labor’s pathway to minority government.
In the Northern Territory, Labor’s Marion Scrymgour holds Lingiari by 1.7%, making that seat one to watch.
South Australia
Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University
South Australia is rarely a key battleground in federal elections, and only comprises ten electoral seats.
There are, however, three key seats worth watching as they will tell us a lot about how the election campaign is playing out: Sturt, Boothby and Mayo.
In Sturt, the Liberals hold this key seat in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs with a margin of 0.5%. A fresh challenge for the incumbent James Stevens is that he faces a threat from SA’s first real Teal candidate, Verity Cooper. This potentially pulls this seat into a three-way fight.
Boothby, in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, will be a good litmus test of how well Labor’s campaign is performing. Labor won the seat for the first time ever in 2022, and Louise Miller-Frost has a 3.3% margin. Liberal candidate Nicolle Flint is resurrecting her political ambitions and would be a useful ally for Peter Dutton, if she were to win.
Finally – a question – does Rebekah Sharkie like pizza? Infamously, when state Labor Premier Jay Weatherill needed a critical independent vote to secure office in 2014, he drove to Port Pirie and brokered a deal over pizza with Geoff Brock. Sharkie holds the seat of Mayo in the Adelaide Hills as a member of the Centre Alliance party with a safe 12.3% margin. Sharkie aligns herself with the Teals, and if a Dutton-led victory looks likely, then she may well be ordering her favourite slice to thrash out the terms of any support.
Tasmania
Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
There are two main seats to watch in Tasmania.
The large, rural seat of Lyons is one of the most marginal in the country. Labor’s Brian Mitchell won with a 0.9% margin in 2022, but he’s made way for Rebecca White. Despite an underwhelming record as Tasmanian Labor Leader – three state election defeats – White is very popular in Lyons. However, Liberal candidate Susie Bower was somewhat unlucky to lose in 2022 after winning 37.2% of the primary vote, and has been in campaign mode for the past three years.
On the surface, Franklin – Australia’s only non-contiguous electorate – looks like a safe Labor seat. Julie Collins, the MP since 2007 and a cabinet minister, has a 13.7% margin. But her primary vote fell in 2022, and community backlash against salmon farming in Franklin’s waterways – which Labor and the Coalition both support – could make her vulnerable.
If independent Peter George (former journalist and anti-salmon campaigner) can get ahead of the low-profile Liberal candidate at some point in the count, Liberal preferences may get him across the line.
Two other Tasmanian seats are unlikely to change hands, but feature some interesting dynamics.
Liberal MP Bridget Archer’s 1.4% margin in the northern seat of Bass might look vulnerable. However, she managed a strong primary vote in 2022 despite a big swing against the Liberal Party. She’s very popular in the community for her willingness to stick to her values – even if it means voting against her party 28 times – and should hold her seat despite rumours of internal moves against her.
In Braddon, long-serving Labor Senator Anne Urquhart has quit the upper house to run. Incumbent Liberal MP Gavin Pearce is retiring, and his replacement candidate, Mal Hingston, is a bit of an unknown. It’s unlikely Urquhart will be able to overturn the 8% two-party preferred margin, but prominence in the community might give her a glimmer of hope.
Another point of interest is who will pick up the votes won by the Jaquie Lambie Network (JLN) in 2022. The JLN is not running candidates following a spectacular implosion at state level – and where those voters find a home could be crucial, particularly in Lyons.
Victoria
Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University
Victoria is shaping up to be a crucial state for the major parties. Several seats are held by the Labor and coalition parties with a margin of less than 5%.
According to Antony Green, Chisholm is the most marginal seat Labor currently holds. The eastern Melbourne seat has been held by both major parties over the past 30 years.
Next up is Aston, further east of Chisholm, which Labor won at arguably the Liberal Party’s lowest ebb in this electoral cycle at a byelection in 2023.
McEwen, on the other hand, is a provincial electorate to the north of Melbourne. Holding onto these three seats will be a significant feat for Anthony Albanese and may set up Labor to hold a majority government.
For the Coalition, the most marginal seat is Deakin, which is a neighbouring electorate to Aston and Chisholm. The seat is held by a margin of just 0.02%, making it the most marginal in the country.
Monash is also a very interesting seat as it was won by Russell Broadbent, who lost Liberal Party preselection and has decided to run as an independent. His local profile may provide a boost to his primary vote, but may not necessarily be enough to win the seat, which will likely be held by the Liberals.
The Coalition will be in trouble if it fails to retain any of its seats in Victoria. It would need to reclaim Chisholm and Aston if it has any chance of forming majority government.
Other seats to watch include Kooyong, held by Monique Ryan with a margin of 2.2% who defeated Josh Frydenberg in 2022, and Goldstein, held by Zoe Daniel with a margin of 3.3% after defeating Liberal Tim Wilson. These will be a test of whether the Liberal Party is able to reconnect with voters who had traditionally supported them in the past.
Western Australia
Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University
The five WA seats to watch are Curtin, Bullwinkel, Forrest, Pearce and Tangney.
The affluent inner metropolitan seat of Curtin is held by Teal Kate Chaney on a 1.3% margin. The Liberal’s 2022 defeat was existential and the party are investing heavily in reclaiming it, although Chaney is not likely to be outspent entirely, or outmanoeuvred.
Bullwinkel is a new seat on the eastern fringes of Perth. The majority of its voters are in the metropolitan area, but the seat also takes in regional parts of the state. The seat’s geography and lack of incumbent led to the Nationals fielding Mia Davies, who was leader of the Nationals in the state parliament between 2017 and 2023.
As a result, this notional Labor seat is the site of a fierce three-way contest. YouGov projects a “Coalition” gain, although the outcome will be influenced by whether the Liberals and Nationals can contain simmering hostilities.
Pearce, in the state’s far north, is held by Labor on a comfortable 8.8% margin. However, it’s one of the most indebted electorates in the nation, and the state Labor government experienced large swings against it in outer suburban and regional state electorates earlier this year.
Tangney, in the state’s southern suburbs, was a major win for Labor in 2022. A blue-ribbon inner-city seat held uninterrupted by the Liberals since the early 1980s, Tangney is Labor’s most marginal WA seat (2.6% margin). To Labor’s advantage is the fact that several of the once-safe Liberal inner metro electorates within Tangney’s boundaries have recently voted with Labor at a state level. However, it will be a tight contest.
Paul Williams is a research associate with the T.J. Ryan Foundation.
Rob Manwaring receives funding from the Australian Research Council for a Discovery project on political parties and associated entities.
David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Government response
Statement on China’s military exercises, 2 April 2025
The FCDO has issued a statement in response to the latest Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
An FCDO spokesperson said:
We are concerned by China’s military exercises around Taiwan, part of a pattern of activity which is increasing tensions and risking dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait.
The UK reaffirms our clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which is of critical importance to global prosperity, and our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. Military drills or threats to Taiwan are not conducive to such dialogue. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo.
We call for restraint and the avoidance of any further actions that may undermine peace and stability.
Through the Highland Investment Plan a new generation of community facilities is being planned across the Highland Council area, changing the way council services are delivered through a new way of operating across the partnership.
At a meeting of The Highland Council on Thursday 27 March 2024, elected members unanimously agreed investment priorities for the first phase of The Highland Investment Plan (HIP), including capital investment that will enable two Ross-shire schools to be rebuilt and a third to be refurbished.
Members agreed a recommendation to co-locate St Clement’s and Dingwall Primary schools at a new Dingwall Community Point of Delivery (POD) site, on the basis that this provides the greatest educational benefits for pupils of both schools, and the maximum economic benefit for the wider community.
There is currently approval in place to relocate St Clement’s School to a site at Docharty Brae in Dingwall which means the proposal to locate St Clement’s School alongside a new Dingwall Primary School on a shared site alongside enhanced community facilities will require to undergo a statutory consultation.
Further to the two new school builds, capital spending was also agreed for the refurbishment of Fortrose Academy.
Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “Phase one of The Highland Investment Plan capital spending allocation will see two new school builds in Ross-shire for St Clement’s School and Dingwall Primary and an extensive refurbishment of Fortrose Academy.
“A new St Clements School has been a long time coming and the commitment to build a new school that retains the school’s unique identity remains. The Highland Investment Plan now offers a really exciting co-location option that has even greater benefits for our young learners than any other previously proposed.
“The strong collaborative working between St Clement’s School, Dingwall Primary and the wider Dingwall community has always played an integral part in our young people’s learning journey. Co-locating will enhance inclusion and equitable opportunities for success, providing the best learning environments for all our children.
“It will increase opportunities for pupils with a disability to participate in wider curriculum and social opportunities, whilst ensuring specialist support and facilities are tailored to individual needs in their own individually designed standalone school and associated outdoor spaces.
“A period of stakeholder engagement will be undertaken, supported by design workshops, prior to launching the statutory consultation required for the proposed new site for St Clement’s School and to allow further discussion and opportunity for parents and stakeholders to feed into the detail of the formal statutory consultation process.”
A consultant architect with extensive experience of designing special schools and additional support needs facilities has been engaged to assist with the development of the new St Clement’s School project brief and initial floor plans and external layouts have been prepared. A series of design workshops will be held with stakeholder groups in the coming weeks to establish a clear vision for the new school. This will ensure that it provides first-rate facilities to meet the needs of every child that will attend St Clement’s in the future and maximise the benefits to be realised from this once in a generation opportunity.
The Highland Investment Plan (HIP) commits £2.1bn of capital funding over a twenty year period, based on the ring fencing of 2% council tax per annum, or an equivalent revenue stream. These revenue funds will be capitalised to create an Investment Plan that will be used to tackle major capital challenges that Highland Council faces.
The Highland Council Adult and Youth Service has recently received CLD Standards Council developmental approval for 3 in house SCQF Level 6 qualifications.
What is Community Learning Development (CLD) – CLD is the field of professional practice in Scotland which includes youth work, community based adult learning, family learning and community development. CLD practice enables people of all ages to identify their own individual and collective goals, to engage in learning and take action to bring about change for themselves and their communities. CLD is a key element of the education sector in Scotland.
Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The Highland Council is delighted to be the first local authority in Scotland to receive CLD Standard Council developmental learning opportunities approval at SCQF level 6.
“Retention, development and expanding our local skilled ‘Workforce for the Future’ portfolio aligns with the Council’s ‘Our Future Highland Delivery Plan’, to enable growth in our own workforce and to help retain a skilled workforce across Highland as a key driver to developing the Highland economy and reducing depopulation.
“Through learning, our career development pathway efforts across Highland will contribute to empowering people, individually and collectively, to make positive changes in their lives and in their communities and we look forward to delivering the Community Learning and Development SCQF level 6 courses in the near future.”
What does this mean for CLD career pathways in Highland?
The CLD Standards Council endorsement of the 3 qualifications, offers an opportunity for people to begin a career in Community Learning & Development (CLD), to develop and grow our own workforce across Highland, opening a pathway towards a professional CLD qualification. It is hoped that this opportunity builds on and strengthens the work of CLD in Highland and the essential role that CLD practitioners contribute across our Highland communities.
The three courses available are as follows:
National Progression Award (NPD) Theory and approaches to Youth Work (SCQF Level 6)
Professional Development Award (PDA) Introduction to Tutoring ESOL (SCQF Level 6)
Professional Development Award (PDA) Adult Learning in Scotland: An Introduction (SCQF Level 6)
